Rat parts in sliced bread spark wide product recall in Japan

Tokyo — More than 100,000 packets of sliced bread have been recalled in Japan after parts of a black rat's body were discovered inside two of them, the manufacturer said Wednesday. Food recalls are rare in Japan, a country with famously high standards of sanitation, and Pasco Shikishima Corporation said it was investigating how the rodent remains had crept in to its products.

The company said it was so far unaware of anyone falling sick after eating its processed white "chojuku" bread, long a staple of Japanese breakfast tables.

Around 104,000 packs of the bread have been recalled in mainland Japan, from Tokyo to the northern Aomori region.